Draft-rigging for platform-cars



UNITED STATES NPATENT OFFICE.

CHESTER C. BORTON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DRiAFT-RIGGING FOR PLATFORM-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent- No. 524,817, dated August 21, 1894.

Application led December 13,1893. Serial No.493,601. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, CHESTER C.BORTON, of

Chicago, in the `county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and use-` ful Improvements in Draft-Rigging for-Plat form-Cars; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to ther'accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part` of this specification.

This invention relates to draft-rigging for platform railway cars, that is to say, itvre` lates to the construction and arrangement of the blocks, rods and other parts of a platform railway car by which the draw-bar of the car is supported.

I use the term platform car as meaning` either passenger, baggage and express, or other light freight cars having a platform at each end as distinguished from the ordinary freight cars having noplatforms and which latter are built with special reference to hard usage and severe end strains. The former are usually made a part of a passenger train for obvious reasons. Freight cars are han--` dled very roughly and especially in the yards when switching, Vand receive very severe end blows which are delivered upon` the coupler ends and buffers.

' the whole rigging comes out of place and requires repair, and very often the platform, rigging and all are broken off from the car, requiring it to be at once sent to the repair shop. Hence, when a platform car is found empty at one end of a route it is held idle in the yards until a proper load is found for it in due course of business in order that it may i be returned to its home station as part of a passenger train'or express train, rather than as a part of a freight` train, in which latter event, experience teaches thatit would be so damaged as to require it to be sent to the shop for repairs.

i Theobject, therefore, of my invention is to produce a draft rigging for platform cars that, `while conforming to the rules of the Master Car-Builders Associatiomwill be light yet especially strong and durable, and capable of standing the utmost wear and rough l usage.

TI) this end the invention consists in the special construction of the various parts of the rigging as set forth in the following description and accompanying drawings, and specially pointed out inthe appended claims.

In the drawingsz-Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional View of a portion of a platj form car wherein the drawbar is secured in my improved rigging, said section being taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2and looking in the direction indicated by the arrows. j Fig. 2 is a plan view of the bottom thereof, looking on the line 2-2 of Fig. l in the direction indicated by the arrows. Fig. 3 is an end elevation, with the drawbar in section, taken on line 3-3 of Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view, taken on line 4,-4: of Fig. 2 and looking in the direction indicated by the arrows. Fig. 5 is asimilar view, taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2. j

In said drawings, let A represent the iiooring of the car, A the end thereof, A2 the platform floor, a a the side sills, and a2 the end sill of the car, all of these parts being conend, extends through suitable apertures in thesaid buffer blocks and platform end sill, and

-,is held in position to prevent an outward displacement by a pin or key b passing through a suitable opening in itsend. Surrounding the buifer bar loosely is a coiled springt?)2 the ends of which press against bearing plates vb3 b4.. The plate b3 is secured against movement on the buffer bar by means of the` shoulders formed by the juncture of the spindle portion with the rectangular part of the bar B2, but the plate b4 is an `apertured collar and IOO shown in Fig. 1, but cushions any blow given to the end b5 of the buffer bar B2, as will be readily understood.

The bar B is made considerably heavier in thickness than usual heretofore, and in practice on an ordinary sized car this differ` ence will be at least two inches, the bar being an oak timber. It will be observed that the bar extends below the bottom line of the, car sill and upon the front f ace of such extension a protecting plate bs is secured to receive the thrust of the drawbar, as will be hereinafter explained. y

C represents one of the trucks, united to the carin the usual manner by the kingbolt C',

which latter passes vertically down through the car floor A, transom block C2 and two transversely arranged iron straps or bars C2 C4, the latter being arranged respectively above and below the transom block C2; said transom block and straps Cs C4 constituting in effect one of the holsters of the car. The construction of this part of the car is similar to that of'any ordinary car. Tie straps or rods C506 on each side of the draft timbers hereinafter to be mentioned, connect thev block B', and end platform sill A3, respect'- ively, with the iron strap C3.

By referring to Fig. l it will be noticed that the tie rod C5 is provided at its rear end. with a Yhook c which engages the rear edge ofi theiron strap C3, that it passes beneath said; strap C3 and then forwardly and upwardly; above the end sill a2, .upon which it rests, and.`

Athen downwardly and throughthe block B and the face plate h6, and that it is secured ini: this position by a nut c" upon'its threaded forward end. i

D Dare draft .timbers consisting of heavy oak pieces that rest at their upper edgesy against .the lower edges of the car sills a, be-y ing heldin place by aseries of bolts dpassed through the sills andtimbers and having at; theirlower e'nds suitable retaining nuts d.' The 'rear ends of the timbers D set squarelyf against the forward or outer vertical face ofl v the transom block C2. The forward ends of'` the timbers D are cutaway so as to set rmly against the rear lower face and under face of` theblock B', as clearly-shown in Fig. 1, the extreme end of the draft timber extending out'ush with the outer face of the protecting plate be. Upon the proximate sides of the draft timbers D Dare placed reinforcing or illingfblocks D D extending longitudinally forward'from the timber C2, and spreading blocks D2 D2 are interposed between said 'filling blocks, as shown, for the purpose of ,maintaining a suitable interval between the leected by means of the transversely arranged bolts D2 D2. It will thus be noticed lthat the draft-*timbers are lirmly secured by draft timbers D is a horizontally arranged iron plate or bar E, upon which the forward end of the drawbar E rests and upon which it slides. The rear end of the drawbar E is held and supported in a pocket or housing now to be described. Forward of the forward end of the filling blocks D are two cheekpieces orcastings F, the same being metal plates bolted at f to the inside faces of the draft timbers D and provided `with rear vertical faces. These cheek-,castings F are of less thickness than the filling blocks D F F2 are respectively upper and lower plates of metal somewhat wider than the thickness of the vcheek platesF and of a length suflicientto have their ends rest upon the u pper and lower edges of the-cheek plates and of the flllingfblooks, theupperfmargin of the .latter being notched or cut away, as shown in Fig. l, so that its forward end shall be of the same height as the width or height of the cheek-plates F. These plates F F2 are secured together by bolts f passing therethrough and locked in position by nuts f2.

The rear end of the drawbar is reduced in size, as illustrated in Fig. l, in order that said reduced portion or spindle E2 maybe conveniently passed'through apertured follower yplates G G', a key orpin clocking said drawbar in position in rear of .the follower plate G in a familiar manner. A spiral spring G2 of a desired strength surrounds the spindle E2 of the drawbar and has its ends resting against the follower plates G G. The follower plates G and'G are of such-dimensions as will enable them to move freelyforward and backward between the pocket straps F and F2, and they are of such length as will enable them to move freely betweenthe draft timbers while at the same time abutting againstthe ends of the filling-'blocks D and the cheek plates F. The spring`G2 will thus normally hold the follower plates away from each otheragainst the ends of said filling blocks and cheek plates. It will be observed that the drawbar is provided with-ashoulder e against which the follower` plate G also presses, and that the distance between the determined with respect to lthe location of .the cheek-castings F, .so thatthe spring G `will normally press the drawbar E outwardly and hold its forward endslightly-in advance of the face of the, buffer bar B2. The drawbar E isprovided with araised extension e2 forming a shoulder adapted to-strike against the face of the plate h6 whenever the pressure on the drawbar E is suficientto exceed .the resistance capacity ofthe spring G2. 'Thatis to say, when pressure isapplied-tothe drawbar E in a direction toward the spring'G2 the latter is compressed and takes the first thrust of the pressure so that the shoulder e2 will not j strike the plate be with the same force that it would if the spring G2 were not present.

In order to provide for the lateral movement of the drawbar E necessary in coupling the car together, said bar is held yieldingly in central position by means of a spoonshaped plate spring H secured on the inner face of the draft timber D .and bearing at its free end against the side of said drawbar, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. A bolt h, passing vertically through the bar B and carrying bar E, and provided on its part extending between said bars with an encircling collarv or bearing-block h (shown in Fig. 3) serves to hold said drawbar in central positionpositively against the action of the spring H. Sufficient play is provided in the follower plates G and G to permit of the slight movement incident to this part of the drawbar when the same is shifted laterally in coupling.

From the foregoing description it will be evident that I have devised a construction capable of sustaining, without injury, the most severe shocks and strains to which a car is likely to be subjected, that is to say, a construction capable of sustaining such shocks and strains almost or equally as well as will an ordinary freight car.

By reason of the arrangement ofthe draft timbers so as to abut against the transverse transom block, the en`d thrust on said timbers is transmitted to this'block, but owing to the trussing of said block by the rods C5 and C6 no injury or displacement thereof can occur. The tendency of the platform to buckle and bend downward under severe shocks or strains l. A combined draft rigging and platform support for cars, comprising a pair of draft timbers secured longitudinally beneath the car body and projecting beneath the end platform thereof, said draft timbers abutting at their innerends against the transom .block of the car, a transversely arranged supporting beam carried on the outer ends of said draft-timbers, a transversely arranged metal strap or brace bar secured on said transom block, truss or stay rods extending from said metal strap upwardly and outwardly over the end sill of the car and thence to the lower part of said supporting beam, reinforcing or lining pieces secured to the inner proximate faces of said draft timbers, space blocks secured at intervals between said draft timbers, and a drawbar supporting j strap secured across and beneath the forward ends of said draft-timbers, substantially as set forth.

2. AV combined draft rigging and platform support for cars, comprising a pair of draft timbers secured longitudinally beneath the car body and projecting beneath the end platform thereof, said draft timbers abutting at their inner ends against the transom block of the car, a transversely arranged support` ing beam carried on the outer ends of said draft-timbers, a transversely arranged metal strap or brace bar securedon said transom block, truss or stay rods extending from said metal strap upwardly and outwardly over the end sill of the car and thence to the lower part of said supporting beam, reinforcing or lining pieces secured to the inner proximate faces of `said draft timbers, space blocks secured at intervals between said draft timbers,

a drawbar supporting strap secured across and beneaththeforward ends of said drafttimbers, and a housing for the drawbar spring and its follower plates, comprising `cheekpieces secured on the inner faces of the draft timbers against the ends of which the outer one of said follower plates rests, shoulders for the opposite follower plate formed by the square ends of the lining pieces of the draft timbers, and protecting straps or plates extending across from said cheek-pieces to said lining pieces respectively above and .below said draw-bar spring, substantially as set forth.

3. In a draft-rigging and platform support for cars, the combination with the drawbar thereof, of the draft timbers AD D,- lining pieces D D space blocks D2 D2, supporting beam B', carrying bar E and truss-rods C5 C5 C6 C6, arranged and combined substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I afx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

cI-iEsTER c. RoRroN.

Witnesses:

TAYLOR E. BROWN, ALBERT H. GRAVES.

IOO

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